Speak, without speaking
by sleepy-orange
Summary: A series of drabbles where Barney and Robin talk about it without really talking about it.
1. Breakfast

**Title:** Breakfast  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary:** You know what, we can sort this out later – Barney (The Leap, 4.24)  
**Spoilers:** 4.24, The Leap  
**A/N: **This is my first HIMYM fic. So, I'm a little nervous and excited all at the same time. Mega thanks go to roland44 over at LJ for her beta.

***

Over the next few months, they ended up _not_ discussing it a total of 16 times. Not that Barney was counting. He just happened to tick off one of her "No"s every time they _didn't _discuss it, feeling immensely pleased for himself and for little Barney as the number dwindled till it reached zero.

And then both he and Robin started to find new ways to talk about it without really talking about it.

***

He showed up one morning at the station, just as she was leaving, carrying the best damn coffee she'd ever had and a bagel. Sure, it was weird, Barney just showing up without any warning, bringing her breakfast, making some lame-ass excuse of having a business meeting around the neighbourhood later. But it was Barney, and he was the very definition of weird in her book. Plus, it was free breakfast and there's no way Robin's going to turn that down.

The second day, he brought her more of that coffee and French toast. This time, he just happened to have passed by the building on his way to meeting an old friend. 3 hours and a quickie in her dressing room later, Robin wondered whether Barney's friend was still waiting for him.

The third day was coffee and doughnuts. They had coffee and a chicken sandwich on the fourth day. Every day he brought her something different, something delicious along with that damn coffee that she was getting addicted to. Sometimes it was just a quick bite before he had to leave for work and sometimes they literally had a quickie.

On the 15th day, Robin ended her show to find no Barney Stinson waiting for her, holding a snack on one hand and balancing 2 cups of coffee in the other. A short call to Marshall told her that Barney was asleep at home, having spent an all-nighter working on an important work-project. Quickly squashing down any smidgens of disappointment she'd felt, dismissing it simply as hunger, Robin made her way home, making a stop along the way.

At 1 pm that afternoon, Barney woke up to find a cup of coffee on his table and some pancakes.

The 16th day found her already waiting for him in front of the station when he finally came by, bearing more coffee and chocolate pies. Much to her chagrin, Robin found herself liking the surprised grin that came on Barney's face when he saw her waiting impatiently, a little bit too much. And when she caught herself thinking of that grin, later that night, a small smile on her own face, she admitted to herself that maybe breakfast wasn't really breakfast anymore.


	2. Share and share alike

**Title:** Share and share alike.  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary:** You won't share your food. You won't wear a costume. – Lily (Slutty Pumpkin, 1.06)

**Spoilers:** 1.06, Slutty Pumpkin  
**A/N: **Since the series is about the two of them talking about it without really talking about it, each chapter will be have one of them doing something. (That is a really bad explanation. I hope it made some sort of sense to you.) So, we'll get started with Robin. Again, a whole lot of thanks go to roland44 over at LJ for her beta.

***

Robin Scherbatsky did not share food.

Everybody knew that, either having been at the receiving end of her glare or seen someone physically wilt under the power of the Scherbatsky death-glare. Marshall and Lily saw it first hand, saw her pretty much destroy a budding relationship with a guy who liked her simply because she could not share her ice-cream sundae. Ted had laughed it off, thinking that the stupid rule did not apply to him, only to find Robin slapping his fingers away rather painfully when he tried to take her fries. Barney, well Barney didn't believe in sharing food either. He could never be too careful with his food, what with half the population of Korea wanting to poison him.

She did not share food and neither did she expect others to share food with her. She saw it a bit like life, really. If she saw something that others had and that she wanted, then she'd go out and get it. She didn't go around sticking her nose into their lives and sharing their food with them.

It thus came as a shock to her, when, one night at a bar, she found herself actually pushing her plate of pasta to Barney, persuading him to get a bite. Eyebrow arched in surprise, Barney leveled a look at her that made her toes curl and sent a blush to her cheeks. Then with a cheeky smirk on his face, he leaned over, making very sure to brush his arm against hers, and took that bite.


	3. Drive, He Said

**Title:** Drive, He Said.  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary:** Barney Stinson, buckle up! – Ted (Arrivederci Fiero, 2.17)

**Spoilers:** 2.17, Arrivederci Fiero  
**A/N: **The title is taken from an episode of Joan of Arcadia. And, this part is slightly AU. In my little dream-world, Barney didn't learn to drive till after S4 and it was Robin who taught him to drive. So basically, just ignore **As Fast As She Can.** (That shouldn't be too hard. XD) Thanks be to roland 44 for the beta.

***

Men were not meant to travel at such neck-breaking speeds. They were meant to walk, to run, to jump and hop, to get by any means necessary to where they needed to be, but not at such speeds. Men were not meant to drive.

Those words kept running through Barney's mind as he gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles turning white from the effort. In the passenger seat next to him, Robin stifled her grin, trying in all earnestness to empathize with his fear of driving. She'd known of the one time Ted had tried to teach him to drive and had failed horribly, but she didn't realize just how deep seated his fear was.

Barney was genuinely frightened, hands shaking, face clenched, the whole works, and yet here he was, in the car with her, learning to drive, letting her teach him how to do it. A wave of affection and something else that she didn't want to think too much of washed over Robin as it occurred to her that this was huge leap for him, trusting her enough to allow her to see him this scared. Ted had mentioned that Barney was afraid, not that he was terrified.

Feeling uncomfortable, wanting to comfort him, yet knowing that neither she nor Barney did comforting very well, Robin fidgeted, waiting for him to make the first move. Barney exhaled shakily as he slowed the car down to a stop, releasing clammy hands from the wheel. Turning towards Robin, a little ashamed of his lack of awesomeness in front of her, he gave her a tight, sheepish smile.

She rewarded him with her proudest smile.


	4. Sleep

**Title:** Sleep

**Rating: **PG

**Summary:** Part 4 of a series where Barney and Robin talk about _it_ without really talking

about it.

**Fandom/Pairing:** HIMYM / Barney & Robin

**Spoilers:** 2.05, World's Greatest Couple

**A/N: **Thank you to everybody who's reading this and who've read the previous parts. Makes me happy knowing people read these things. :P Anyways, this part was obviously inspired by the episode Snow Day from CSI: New York. And, let's all hail **roland44** as the Queen of Beta.

***

Robin had taken to spending the night over at Barney's apartment every day, telling herself that it had nothing to do with her wanting to spend more time with him and everything to do with the fact that Barney's apartment was nearer to the station than her own.

They had a standing arrangement now. After having their usual breakfast together, Robin would stagger back to her apartment to rest, and basically wile the time away before waiting for Barney at MacClaren's with everybody else. They would then leave separately, taking turns to make up some lame excuse about being too tired / having work to do / friends to meet (they rotated their excuses), and wait outside for the other to make up their own excuse to leave as well, before making their way to Barney's apartment.

(Both Lily and Ted had figured out what they were doing after the second night in a row when they left within five minutes of each other. But neither had the heart to tell either Barney or Robin that they were not being as discrete as they thought they were, finding it all too amusing to see what was the excuse-of-the-day.)

That night, along with all the previous nights, saw Robin fall asleep in the cab, body curled against Barney's, head leaning on his shoulder. A small frown on his face, Barney pulled her close and wrapped his coat around her. Unnoticed by either of them, the cab driver watched them from his rearview mirror, smiling as his eyes flicked over the two figures in his backseat, so obviously a couple in love in his very experienced view. Adjusting the picture of his wife on his dashboard, he continued on driving in silence.

Hours later, Robin woke up alone in bed, the late morning sun filtering in through the blinds, panicking as she realized that she'd missed the 3 am alarm for her morning show. Running her hand over her face, trying to rub the sleep away, her hand brushed against a scrap of paper pasted on her forehead. Rolling her eyes at the ever low level of immaturity shown by one Barney Stinson, she plucked it off her forehead and read:

_Sparkles, _

_I called the station – they don't need you today. Sleep in and enjoy the tv. _

_PS: Free porn on Channel 69. What. Up. _

_- B.S_

A slow warmth suffusing her body, Robin flopped back onto bed, grinning happily to herself. She tucked herself in and switched the mega-tv on, all the while clutching the yellow post-it tightly in her hand.


	5. Halloween

**Title:** Halloween

**Rating: **PG

**Summary:** Part 5 of a series where Barney and Robin talk about _it_ without really

talking about it.

**Fandom/Pairing:** HIMYM / Barney & Robin

**Spoilers:** 1.06, Slutty Pumpkin

**A/N: **Hmmm...Well, this has actually been done for quite some time now and was just waiting for me to stop being such a lazy ass and post it. XD But, here it is finally, and I hope you guys enjoy it. :) Thanks be to **roland44** for her awesome beta. Is it considered cheating to use the same episode twice?

***

So Halloween wasn't her favourite time of the year, what's wrong with that? Robin just didn't see the whole point of dressing up in silly, sometimes matching costumes with her friends, or that one guy that she had been dating. She was a grown-up, independent, confident woman, and there was no way she was going to compromise that by turning up at her favourite bar as Gretel.

But, Barney was different. He reveled in Halloween, always turning up in some ridiculous outfit, before changing to a spare costume halfway through and sometimes, even a third costume, all for the kick of it. He saw it as a time to put on a mask, to be someone else for a day, to be a few someone elses within the space of a few hours even and start afresh. He could be the arrogant fighter pilot, the cheeky devil, the adorable penguin, all without having to drop the façade of one Barney Stinson.

And his excitement was infectious. If ever there was a time when Barney reverted back to being that 8-year-old kid who believed with all his heart that Santa existed and that the man in the TV was his father, it was during Halloween.

He spent weeks planning his costume, meticulous down to the very last detail. He bugged everybody else about what their costume was going to be, making sure that it was nowhere near as awesome as his (Barney Stinson must always, and forever, be the center of attention. That's just the way it has to be.). He allocated hours in his daily schedule stalking Robin, leaving her post-it notes, messages on her phone, giving her sermons, all on the importance of dressing up for the one holy day.

After many nights of her hiding away at her apartment instead of sleeping over at his, like she usually did (Robin gave up after the 4th night. She ended up missing him too much. Not that she was ever going to let him know that.), Robin finally gave in.

Which was why she was currently standing outside MacClaren's, freezing her ass off in the barely-there Wonder Woman costume that she had chosen, telling herself that the look on Barney's face when she entered the bar, her legs stretching for a million miles, would be worth it.

(Judging from the enthusiastic way he'd fucked her in the bathroom five minutes later, it was worth it.)


	6. Dots and Dashes

**Title:** Dots and Dashes  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary:** He wanted to be a 'we' and I wanted to be an 'I'. – Robin (1.06, Slutty Pumpkin)

**Spoilers:** 1.06, Slutty Pumpkin  
**A/N: **I am rather fond of this piece. :P However, I do have to warn you that the tense is a little ... erm, wonky? I tried to fix it as bad as I could, but it's still fighting me. :/ I hope it's not too bad. Betaed by the wonderful roland44.

**Dots and Dashes**

_**Robin:**__ He wanted to be a 'we' and I wanted to be an 'I'. (1.06 – The Slutty Pumpkin)_

Barney never really thought about the possibility of Robin moving in with him. It seemed like conceding to the world that they were A Couple. And, yes, it came with capitals, like a brand stamped on their foreheads, a tag that would haunt them wherever they went (Lily didn't have the heart to tell him that they were very much A Couple, capitals and all. In her book, they fulfilled all the qualifications for falling under the couple category - they had their own routines, they rarely spent the night apart, and most damning of all, they talked about their day.). They weren't A Couple, they were Barney and Robin; formerly Barney (dot) Robin (dot), now known as Barney-and-Robin.

He likes being Barney-and-Robin. There was a sense of bondage between them (hell, yeah), because after the Barney came the Robin and yet, they were still two separate people. Being BarneyandRobin scared him, scared him more than he would ever admit to anyone, even to James. Late at night, when Robin's sound asleep next to him, her hair splayed across his chest, her scent almost overwhelming, Barney stares at the ceiling and wonders if he dares to remove the dashes, to become BarneyandRobin. Sometimes he thinks that he's ready, that they're almost there anyway, that it would make her happy. And sometimes he knows that he's not, because Robin could always end up like Shannon, and Barney knows that he won't survive another Shannon.

He then wonders if, for the first time in a long time, he was over-thinking when it came to a woman. And if maybe it was time to stop thinking and just_ do_.

So it was, that after the third day in a row that Robin came home from work only to find that Mr Wang was back in business in her apartment (Ted had been dating one of his colleagues at the university) and had to then stagger across town, half asleep, to his apartment, Barney found himself asking Ted for his spare key back. And when Robin left work the next day, almost expecting to see the sign hanging off the lock again, she found an extra key hanging in her key-chain.


	7. Bad Sick

**Title:** Bad Sick  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Summary:** Part 7 of a series where Barney and Robin talk about _it_ without really talking about it.  
**Spoilers:** 2.11, How Lily Stole Christmas  
**A/N: **Heh. There's a certain character that might be familiar to some of you? XD Betaed by roland44.

**Bad Sick**

_**Barney:**__ Whenever I start feeling sick, I just stop being sick and be awesome instead. True story. (2.11 – How Lily Stole Christmas)_

Someone was banging on the door.

It started with the doorbell ringing, some time ago, the person persistently pressing the button every few seconds. Then, when it became clear that no amount of light tinkling music was going to get the occupant to the door, it changed to light, polite knocks on the door. After a while, even that sounded like a soothing lullaby, lulling said occupant back to her sleep. That was when it became those loud, god-awful bangs on the door that would have the neighbours complaining if she didn't answer it soon.

Sighing miserably to herself, Robin dragged her weary body from the warm comfort of the bed to the door, ready to just say _No_ and slam the door vehemently shut in the person's face. What had started as a simple flu had evolved to a brain-wrecking headache, chills running up and down her spine and a fever that spiked every few hours. One of Lily's school kids had brought the bug to school, passing it to Lily, then to Marshall, Ted, and now, her. Only Barney had been spared the virus, and that was because he wasn't even in the country, away on some business trip.

Robin hated to admit it, but his absence made the illness harder to bear, her misery at being sick compounded by not having Barney to come home to. Over the past few months, her body had gotten used to shaping itself next to his, and without that warm presence next to her, Robin found it hard to fall asleep, sometimes only managing to do so when it was nearly morning. And now she was miserable that she was miserable without Barney.

That thought just made her headache worse.

Muttering under her breath about stupid boys who got under girls' skins and made said girls miss them, Robin pulled the door open. Before her eyes could even focus on the figure in front of her, it had already barged its' way in, a stern figure in black and white, bristling with the air of a woman on a mission.

Robin blearily stared at the stranger, wondering if this woman was going to rob the apartment and if she should maybe call the police. Though at the moment, she would have been more than happy to let the woman take anything she wanted as long as she left her alone and just let her _sleep._

Placing her bag on the counter-top, the woman finally turned to her. "Mr. Barney has a message for you. He says," at this, she paused as if having to recite something committed to memory, " _'Scherbatsky (not Sparkles, cos you're not very sparkly right now), you are not to go to work for the rest of the week. Sleep and rest. You'll need your energy when I get back.'_ " She then turned towards Robin, and, with a sigh, winked at the bewildered woman. " _'Dorotha will take care of you. – Barnabas.'_ "

She continued talking, "I am Dorotha. I will take care of you. And Mr. Barney will be happy. Now, go to bed." Surprisingly gently, Dorotha led Robin back into the bedroom and tucked her in.

Still utterly bewildered, Robin lay on the bed, listening as Dorotha bustled around the apartment. She didn't even know how Barney found out that she was sick, or when he found the time to actually hire someone to take care of her, but at that moment, she didn't really care too much. It shouldn't have been a surprise to her that even while on an entirely different continent, Barney Stinson still managed to prove how awesome he was.

Totally covered with blankets, Robin snuggled in deeper, a silly smile on her face.


End file.
